Following the excitement of closing on your new home, comes the question of “How am I going to decorate it?”
We spoke to Fashion & Lifestyle Influencer, Purdey Lines (@purdeylau), on just that, finding out what homeware trends she thinks are timeless and what she just cannot get behind, from bouclé chairs to terrazzo tiles. Read on to find out her top recommendations for renovating a home.
Congratulations on your move! How have you found the process?
Thanks so much! It has been a long road to get here and has definitely had its challenging moments. But now being here in the house, I can look back and know that the patience and trust I have that things always work themselves out, was worth it. Making the decision on a ‘forever home’ and moving in is the most nerve wracking and rewarding thing, all at the same time.
What gets you ready for a day of home renovations?
Right now it’s definitely a hot coffee, but as soon as the weather warms up I’ll be onto that iced matcha latte! The radio or Spotify will also be on with some energetic tunes as soon as the coffee is being brewing.
KitchenAid Cream Artisan Semi Auto Espresso Machine – £345
Do you have a new theme each time you move, or do you reuse the same decor?
We’ve always lived in flats, so we’ve never had an abundance of furniture or special items we wanted to hold on to. With that being said, we knew we would be moving to a home with more than two rooms to furnish, so we held on to most of our furniture to see us through until we find pieces we really love.
What’s exciting about this move is that it really feels like a home we want to nourish and grow as time goes on. I find it impossible to get every item you need to make a house a home as soon as you move in, so I’m at peace with knowing it’s going to be a process. But it’s also one of the most exciting things, slowly finding pieces to treasure.
As far as a theme goes, I am obsessed with organic modern and mid-century modern interiors, so over time our home will, fingers crossed, be filled with beautiful items in this style.
Are there any homeware trends you can’t get behind?
A homeware trend that I just can’t see myself implementing now or in the future would be Terrazzo. Surely it must be a marmite thing because I feel very strongly about this one not being for me. I find it too busy to look at and definitely doesn’t bring me a sense of calm which is what I aim for in my home.
If you had to choose one room to decorate first, which would it be and why?
It would be the open-plan live-in kitchen diner space hands down! This is where I spend most of my quality time with family and friends and it would be lovely to be able to have this space completed and ready to enjoy while the rest of the home slowly makes its way to the same stage.
It’s also a space that has so much potential, from the kitchen cabinetry and the tiny details of what handles to choose, to the kind of dining table and which soft furnishings to add to the room to bring everything together.
Which room are you most excited to decorate?
The whole house! I’m so excited about all of it and I can see how much we’ll love it once each room feels fresh and homely. If I told you how many Pinterest boards I have, you’d think I was crazy! I pretty much have a board per room and spend way too much time dreaming on there.
At the moment our focus is on the living room, which is so fun as it already feels transformed from what it was before. We painted the previous dark mauve coloured walls to a bright neutral beige and refreshed the white woodwork, which is something you should never skip in my opinion.
We had some work done to put the TV on the wall and hid the cables, which is something we’ve never done before but it looks so slick and I love it! Our 4-seater black velvet sofa also arrived which is incredibly comfortable and now that those pieces are in, we’re excited to find the special items that turn a room with a TV and sofa into a cosy lounge. I’m now on the hunt for a gorgeous accent chair and I love the mix of textures on this bouclé one from Gallery Living:
Gallery Living Oswten Armchair, Cream – £555
Is your wardrobe meticulously organised, or are you a floor-drobe kind of girl?
This is a great question as I have a little tidying obsession when it comes to organising cupboards, including my wardrobe. So, it’s organised by type of item and then by colour, so it’s very satisfying.
But find my bedroom at the end of a couple days of content creation and you’d tilt my scale towards the floor-drobe girl. I do my best to keep on top of it, but some things like a cosy jogger set will be at easy grabbing distance at the end of each day.
Watch Purdey’s mornings in her new house here.
No. Eleven Oatmeal Cashmere Blend Round Neck Jumper – £59
No. Eleven Oatmeal Cashmere Blend Pocket Jogger – £49
No. Eleven Tan Sheepskin Slippers – £29
What would be your advice to someone wanting to redecorate? Where should they start?
I’m no interior designer, but my number one thing to do is search for inspiration. Pinterest is my absolute go-to for many things in life, and I’d recommend creating a board and saving the interior images you love.
Look back at your board after a while and see what repetitions you are finding in what you’ve saved. This is super helpful, especially if you don’t quite know what your style is yet.
If I had to give one tip, it would be to plan and prioritise. Which room(s) are essential right now? Then create a plan of action by discovering the style you want and finding the right paint colours, lighting and furniture you need to achieve it. It doesn’t have to be the exact pieces but knowing the direction you’re going in will help so much when making big decisions of colour and investing in furniture.
Follow @brandalleyuk and @purdeylau
